The battle to be top dog is on as Birmingham prepares for Crufts

Pedigree pets descend on the NEC for the famous contest

Rescue dogs which will be taking part in the Rescue Dog Agility event at Crufts. (Photo: Rui Vieira/PA )

What's the link between 1930s aristocrat Countess Howe and chart-topping pop group The Real Thing?

The answer won’t be found in any music trivia book – but it’s no shaggy dog tale.

And
there will be thousands of canine clues available in Birmingham when Crufts takes place at the NEC from Thursday until Sunday.

Countess
Howe, part of the Churchill dynasty, and The Real Thing lead singer Chris Amoo have both been the owners of Supreme Champions at the world famous show, which was first held in 1891.

The
countess’s pedigree chum Bramshaw Bob, a Labrador Retriever, was one of
only four dogs to win the top title more than once when it triumphed in
1932 and again the following year.

Liverpudlian
Amoo shot to fame through TV talent show Opportunity Knocks and his soul-influenced group enjoyed a string of hits in the 1970s and 80s, including worldwide million seller You To Me Are Everything.

But
away from the charts he was a successful dog breeder along with wife Julie, and their elegant Afghan Hound named Viscount Grant took the Crufts Best In Show title in 1987.

This year’s event is set to bring tens of thousands of spectators and more than 25,000 dogs and their owners to Birmingham.

It
is now an international canine celebration that was started more than a
century ago by a travelling salesman in a desperate attempt to promote a
product he was trying to sell to pet owners.

The prestigious show is named after its founder, Charles Cruft.

The
ambitious salesman spurned a chance to join his family jewellery business in 1876 to work for pet food manufacturer Spratts selling dog cakes and he decided on a dog show as the perfect vehicle to push his pet supplies.

His entrepreneurial talents were soon recognised by French dog breeders and they invited the Londoner to organise the canine section of the great Paris exhibition in 1878.

Eight
years later, spotting a gap in the home market, he took up the management of the Allied Terrier Club Show at the Royal Aquarium, Westminster.

In 1891 Cruft modestly decided to add his name to the rapidly evolving show and the world famous event has grown ever since.

Initially,
show prizes were limited to invitation-only entries. The first champion
title was awarded in 1905 to Sabre White, a Pomeranian owned by Mrs Vale Nicholas.

The Best of
Show award was not introduced until 1928 and was first limited to dogs that had already won best of breed at Crufts.

Show
chief Cruft died in 1938 and control of the event was taken over by his
daughter Emma. It continued to develop and the Kennel Club took over in
1948.

The event gained more popularity as classes and prize categories were expanded. Crufts eventually grew too big for its traditional London base at Earls Court, so it moved to the NEC for its centenary in 1991.

More than 20,000 dogs will be judged at this year’s show.

Thousands more will take part in agility, heelwork and a number of other competitions and displays.

This
year’s programme has also attracted more than 2,000 dogs from overseas for the first time. A total of 2,131 pooches from 41 different countries
will take part at the show, including animals from Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and Malaysia, none of which have previously been represented.

Caroline
Kisko, Kennel Club secretary, said: “The fact that dog owners continue to come in their thousands to celebrate their animals on the world’s most famous dog stage is testament to what a special place Crufts holds in the hearts of dog lovers throughout the world.

“In
addition to the dogs that are officially entered into the show, we welcome thousands of other dogs to this wonderful celebration of all things canine.”